Heading into this week’s homecoming activities, the Long County High School football team fell to Bacon County, 52-7, last Friday in Alma.

The Blue Tide struggled all night and were never able to get their game moving forward. As bad as the Long County team played, its opponent played just that good. The Red Raiders defense was stellar, not allowing the Blue Tide to score until late in the fourth quarter, and their offense was just as impressive, scoring on seven of eight possessions. 

Long County’s first half was filled with futility, with the Tide fumbling once and having their deepest drive end at the Red Raiders 33-yard line. In contrast to the Tide’s difficulty, Bacon County looked sharp on both sides of the ball in taking a 19-0 lead.

In the second half, the Blue Tide’s problems continued as the Raiders intercepted a pass on Long County’s first offensive possession and scored their fourth touchdown of the game. During Long County’s next possession, on fourth-and-1 at midfield, Bacon County stopped the Tide’s rushing attempt behind the line of scrimmage. Bacon County then four more times to go up, 45-0.

Long County fans finally had something to cheer for late when Brendon Scott raced for a 68-yard touchdown. However, Bacon scored on its next drive to round out the scoring. 

With the Region 2-AA loss, Long County fell to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in the region, while Bacon County improved to 2-3 and 1-1. 

On Friday, Long County will try to bounce back, but it won’t be easy as it faces Vidalia.

The Indians (5-0) are ranked No. 5 in the state by MaxPreps.com. They are coming off a big 38-0 win over the Groves Rebels and have outscored their last three opponents, 123-0. Long County and Vidalia have played each other four times, with the Indians winning all four contests. 

If the Blue Tide is going to have any chance against the Indians, they will have to move the chains on the offense to keep the Indians offense on the sidelines. Earlier this season, Long County moved the ball quite well on the ground, but in recent weeks, defenses have been stacking the box to shut down the run. If the Blue Tide is going to have any success moving the ball on the offense they will need to mix things up a bit. 

Friday’s game begins at 7:30 p.m., with the crowning of the homecoming queen at halftime.

Results will appear online and in Sunday’s Courier.